"But Beck and Merrill decided that simply banning toxic players wasn't an acceptable solution for their game. Riot Games began experimenting with more constructive modes of player management through a formal player behavior initiative that actually conducts controlled experiments on its player base to see what helps reduce bad behavior. The results of that initiative have been shared at a lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on panels at the Penny Arcade Expo East and the Game Developers Conference." Absolutely fascinating stuff. I'm a League of Legends player, and to be honest, the community isn't nearly as bad as some make it out to be. I'm happy Riot games has the guts to employ science to address the issue.

I agree it was a well-reasoned argument, but at the very same time it reads like a page right out of one of George Orwell's novels, where he uses characteristically calm and rational dialogues to give credence to elitist control and startlingly dystopian ideologies. If there were a prequel to 1984 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four), it would probably start out in the form that's taking shape in this very article.

I agree it was a well-reasoned argument, but at the very same time it reads like a page right out of one of George Orwell's novels, where he uses characteristically calm and rational dialogues to give credence to elitist control and startlingly dystopian ideologies.

I understand what you're saying, but I wouldn't draw such a line as you do. After all, here you *choose* to be part of the community playing the game whereas in the book you don't get to choose. Here you can just walk away if you don't agree to what's happening and there's no way for anyone to punish you for that. Not quite so in '1984.'